Rutgers Women's Basketball unofficially kicked off its 2024-25 campaign with an exhibition win over Caldwell on Sunday afternoon. The Scarlet Knights got the 101-48 victory eight days before its official season opener.
Multiple players led the way, headed by senior forward Destiny Adams back for her final season. She led all scorers with 24 points and led the way on the boards with 12 rebounds.
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Head coach Coquese Washington decided on an unexpected starting lineup for the game, opting to go more wing-heavy. Boston College transfer JoJo Lacey served as the lead guard next to junior Antonia Bates, freshman Zachara Perkins, Adams, and fellow senior Chyna Cornwell.
Five-star freshman Kiyomi McMiller made the most of her collegiate debut as well. She came off the bench in the second quarter and scored nine points in seven minutes, before finishing with 21 for the game along with six rebounds.
Perkins, a four-star freshman from Houston, had strong debut performance of her own, scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds. She played a tough game, garnering defensive assignments on the perimeter and at the rim while staying within the flow of the offense.
Lacey also had a solid game in her Rutgers debut, scoring 13 points and grabbing four rebounds in her first game since moving to Piscataway from Chestnut Hill for her final season.
The Division II Cougars were overmatched on the floor, particularly with their lack of size. The Scarlet Knights outrebounded Caldwell 63-40 and scored 42 points in the paint, dominating on the boards and in the post as Adams and Cornwell proved to be too much on the interior as they got good positioning throughout the game. Kentucky transfer Janae Walker had her way on the boards as well, racking up 10 rebounds in 11 minutes of play.
The Cougars shot just 26% from the floor, including 4-for-23 from beyond the arc.
The Scarlet Knights also drew plenty of fouls down low, shooting a whopping 44 free throws for the game, though they only converted 26 of them.
The perimeter attack was a problem for Rutgers last year, as all too often they just could not get anything going from the outside and teams were able to pack the paint. While the efficiency could use some improvement, the volume was encouraging, as the Scarlet Knights shot 8-for-22 from beyond the three-point line. Six different players attempted multiple threes, with McMiller, Lacey, and junior guard Mya Petticord each hitting two.
Nine players suited up for Rutgers, as Lisa Thompson did not see any action, nor did senior wing Awa Sidibe, who is still recovering from a knee injury that forced her to miss the entirety of last season.
Though it was a Division II opponent, the Scarlet Knights came out and took care of business while getting several contributors involved throughout the game.
RUTGERS WOMEN'S HOOPS PLAY OF THE DAY....
Freshman wing Zachara Perkins drives to the hoop and draws a three-point play.
UP NEXT?
Rutgers kicks off its season officially on Monday, November 4th, when they host Manhattan at 7pm at Jersey Mike's Arena. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
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